1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adapter for a suction tube, especially to a switchable adapter for a suction tube.
2. Description of the Prior Art(s)
According to medical practice guidelines, when a patient is unable to swallow, to discharge sputa, or to breathe autonomously, or when respiratory disorders occur, an incision has to be made on an anterior portion of the neck of the patient in order to put a tracheotomy tube into a trachea of the patient through the incision. The tracheotomy tube is selectively connected to an oxygen supply apparatus, an open suction tube, or a closed suction tube via an adapter in order to assist the patient with breathing or to suck the sputa out of the trachea of the patient.
A conventional adapter for a suction tube, such as an ISOLATION VALVE FOR A CLOSED SUCTION DEVICE disclosed in U.S. patent publication No. 2011/0155135, has a body and a valve. The body has a communicating channel, a patient end connector, a breathing circuit connector and a suction tube connector. The communicating channel has a chamber and an opening. The patient end connector, the breathing circuit connector and the suction tube connector are radially formed on and protrude from the external surface of the communicating channel and communicate with the chamber of the communicating channel. The valve is rotatably connected to the body and has an isolation pipe and a control button. The isolation pipe is rotatably mounted in the chamber of the communicating channel via the opening and has a communicating hole, an inlet hole and a sucking hole. The control button is formed on the isolation pipe above the top of the communicating channel.
Another conventional adapter for a suction tube, such as a RESPIRATORY CARE ASSEMBLY disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,304, comprises a manifold and an adapter. The manifold has an internal channel, multiple access ports, and a supporting component. The access ports of the manifold communicate with the internal channel and are respectively connected to the trachea of the patient and the oxygen supply apparatus. The supporting component has an opening communicating with the internal channel. The adapter is rotatably mounted on the supporting component and has two access ports respectively connected to the closed suction tube and the open suction tube. When the adapter is rotated, the adapter is switched, such that the two access ports of the adapter alternatively align with the opening of the supporting component to communicate with the internal channel of the manifold. While one of the access ports of the adapter communicates with the internal channel, the other one of the access ports of the adapter is separated from the internal channel.
However, when the adapter is rotated, exterior air may flow into the trachea of the patient through interstices between the adapter and the supporting component, putting the patient at the risk of infection. Moreover, since there are no alignment structures formed on the adapter and the supporting component, the medical personnel cannot be ensured whether the access port of the adapter has been aligned with the opening of the supporting component or not. Furthermore, the adapter has to be rotated 180 degrees to allow the other access port of the adapter to align with the opening of the supporting component, which is time-consuming and causes discomfort of the patient.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a switchable adapter for a suction tube to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.